Dads helping dads
Our mission is to support and empower fathers by offering opportunities for connection, education, and community engagement. We do this through holding events and groups, aggregating and providing resources, and modeling positive, sensitive, and engaged fatherhood within the larger community.
Events and Groups
Please consider this a snapshot of Dad Guild's regular programming offerings. For the most up-to-date programming information, please check out our most recent newsletter, available on the home page.
Dad Guild's Equitable Access Fund
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As part of Dad Guild's recent grant award from the UVM Medical Center, we've established an "Equitable Access Fund" as part of our budget moving forwards. The purpose of our Equitable Access Fund is to help ensure all dads and masculine-identifying caregivers have access to our programs regardless of their financial status. We recognize this is just one of the many barriers that exists as it relates to financial status and won't address all issues, but it's a start.
So what is the Equitable Access Fund for? This money can be used by dads for a variety of reasons to help them participate in programming when financial barriers exist. This may include but is not limited to: transportation costs (gas, Uber, etc), babysitting expenses, and access to reliable technology for virtual offerings. Additionally, these funds can also be used to cover any entry costs at certain programs, such as our Dads' Night Out events at The Boardroom and The Pinball Co-op. Please remember, the specific intention is to assist dads to attend programming, not to address other financial hardships. Interested in accessing this fund in order to participate in programming? Please click here to fill out a form and we'll be in touch with you! |
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In-Person Programming
Playgroups
Typically five times a month, Dad Guild offers low key playgroups at a variety of community settings. These spaces provide an opportunity for dads and masculine-identifying caregivers to connect with one another, engage in positive play with their children, and further familiarize themselves with different family-friendly locations in the greater Burlington area. Playgroups are drop-in style, meaning no registration is required, and folks can come and go as they please. Regular locations include playgrounds and local libraries.
Typically five times a month, Dad Guild offers low key playgroups at a variety of community settings. These spaces provide an opportunity for dads and masculine-identifying caregivers to connect with one another, engage in positive play with their children, and further familiarize themselves with different family-friendly locations in the greater Burlington area. Playgroups are drop-in style, meaning no registration is required, and folks can come and go as they please. Regular locations include playgrounds and local libraries.
Recently, Dad Guild launched a new playgroup for transgender and gender nonconforming families. This group meets twice a month on Friday mornings at local parks. The group is facilitated by Josh Shamoon, a nonbinary caregiver in the Dad Guild community.
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Dads & Kids
In addition to our library and playground playgroups, Dad Guild hosts a variety of activities for dads and their kids to engage in together. These offerings vary throughout the year, and have included opportunities for arts & crafts, sledding, sporting events, arcades, fire station tours and more.
In addition to our library and playground playgroups, Dad Guild hosts a variety of activities for dads and their kids to engage in together. These offerings vary throughout the year, and have included opportunities for arts & crafts, sledding, sporting events, arcades, fire station tours and more.
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Dads' Day/Night Out
Once or twice a month, Dad Guild hosts opportunities for dads to connect with one another over a fun, shared interest. Leave the kids at home as dads grow their fatherhood network, share what's going on for them, and tell a few jokes. Regular opportunities have included video and board game nights, trivia, disc golf, and cribbage. Events take place at a variety of community locations.
On the second Tuesday of every month, Dad Guild hosts a Magic: The Gathering night at Quarterstaff games in Burlington, right on Church St. We've got some prebuilt decks on hand, but feel free to bring your own! No experience necessary, and all skill levels are welcome.
Once or twice a month, Dad Guild hosts opportunities for dads to connect with one another over a fun, shared interest. Leave the kids at home as dads grow their fatherhood network, share what's going on for them, and tell a few jokes. Regular opportunities have included video and board game nights, trivia, disc golf, and cribbage. Events take place at a variety of community locations.
On the second Tuesday of every month, Dad Guild hosts a Magic: The Gathering night at Quarterstaff games in Burlington, right on Church St. We've got some prebuilt decks on hand, but feel free to bring your own! No experience necessary, and all skill levels are welcome.
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Running Groups
Our running groups started in 2023, and provide dads with the opportunity to connect with one another while engaging in a healthy activity. Dads meet up at a variety of locations to go for a run, and then enjoy a beverage and snack afterwards for some connection and laughter. All skill levels are welcome, and all of you marathon runners should probably show up with really low expectations. Check out the most current newsletter to see where we'll be next! |
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Book Groups
Every other month, Dad Guild hosts a book group that dives deeper into important parenting topics. Groups are announced in our newsletters, at which point folks are invited to register. Participants are provided with copies of the book to borrow, which they are encouraged to highlight and take notes in. Previous titles have included Consent (For Kids!): Boundaries, Respect, and Being in Charge of You, Siblings Without Rivalry, How to Talk so Little Kids Will Listen, How to Rainse an Antiracist, So You Want to Talk About Race, Raising Good Humans, Equal Partners: Improving Gender Equality at Home, and Good Inside.
Every other month, Dad Guild hosts a book group that dives deeper into important parenting topics. Groups are announced in our newsletters, at which point folks are invited to register. Participants are provided with copies of the book to borrow, which they are encouraged to highlight and take notes in. Previous titles have included Consent (For Kids!): Boundaries, Respect, and Being in Charge of You, Siblings Without Rivalry, How to Talk so Little Kids Will Listen, How to Rainse an Antiracist, So You Want to Talk About Race, Raising Good Humans, Equal Partners: Improving Gender Equality at Home, and Good Inside.
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The next book club title is Oh Crap! Potty Training: Everything Modern Parents Need to Know to Do It Once and Do It Right by Jamie Glowacki. Folks interested are invited to pick up a copy of the book to borrow from the Soda Plant in Burlington, and then participate in an in-person book group meetup in late August/early September (details TBD). Interested? Want to participate? Click here to fill out a form and get your name on the email list!
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Fires with Fathers
Dad Guild hosts a monthly peer support group that takes place on a Saturday night, outside, around a campfire, on the loveliest property in all of Burlington, Rock Point. The group creates an intentional space for sharing, modeling vulnerability, active listening, and self-reflection with one another. There is more structure than other free flowing drop-in Dad Guild programs and is a great opportunity to connect deeply with other fathers over each other's shared and unique experiences. This is an enrolled program, pre-registration is required, and we cap it each month at 12 participants. To sign up for the current month's fire circle, please click here to register. Additional details will follow. |
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Virtual/Remote Programming
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Zoom Check-Ins
Twice a month, Dad Guild offers the opportunity for fathers to connect via Zoom. These check-ins are not structured, and serve as a space for dads to connect with one another, over everything from relationship challenges to favorite songs. Check-ins happen twice a month on Wednesday nights, from 8:45-10:00pm. The Zoom link and specific dates each month can be found in our monthly newsletters. |
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Marco Polo Groups
Using the Marco Polo app, Dad Guild has multiple ongoing peer support groups that allow for fathers to share video messages with one another that they can view and respond to on their own time. Since it's implementation, these groups have fostered the development of some of the strongest friendships among men we have ever witnessed. Active listening. Modeling vulnerability. Good stuff all around. If you'd like to join the waitlist to sign up for a group, email us today! Additionally, we regularly use Marco Polo for a variety of workshops, creating a truly engaging learning experience. |
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Dad Guild Warmline
This statewide service allows fathers to reach out whenever they need someone to talk to. Maybe you're stressed, want to get some recipe ideas, or just want to hear our opinion regarding the best Vin Diesel movie (The Iron Giant, save yourself a call). We're calling it a warmline because no one will answer the phone, but you'll be able to leave a message and we'll get back to you at our earliest convenience. You are also welcome to send a text message as well if you prefer. And yes, this is also our general contact phone number. We have one free Google Voice number. That's how we roll. Get in touch today at (802) 318-4231. |
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Modern Pop Podcast
Hey community! It’s been a minute, but Dad Guild’s podcast, Modern Pop, is now available for your listening pleasure on Apple, Spotify, SoundCloud, and Stitcher, with more platforms coming soon. Click one of those links for the platform of your choice! In this first episode, we talk about the transition into fatherhood, and the joys, stresses, and all the other feels that come along with it. We also hear from a local dad about his personal journey. If you’re a fan of men being vulnerable and having real conversations about fatherhood, then this podcast is for you. Huge thank you to the Vermont Community Foundation for the support in making this happen. More episodes coming soon! If you have questions or comments, would like to hear about a certain topic, or anything else, feel free to email us at podcast@dadguild.org. |
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Workshops
Throughout the year, Dad Guild hosts a variety of parenting-related workshops that help caregivers develop a deeper understanding across a range of topics. Workshops take place both virtually and in-person, depending on the experience being offered. Past educational opportunities for dads have included topics such as sleep training, nature-based play, developing social emotional intelligence, and improving gender equality at home. Keep up to date with offerings by subscribing to our newsletter!
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Dadvocates
One of Dad Guild's driving tenets is community engagement. Our Dadvocate program empowers fathers throughout the state of Vermont by providing numerous opportunities for dads to get involved and make their communities healthier, happier, and more equitable places to live. So far, we have:
- Raised over $3,300 to bring Dolly Parton's Imagination Library to the City of Winooski, resulting in nearly 2,000 books being distributed to children in Winooski.
- Donated 100% of profits from sweatshirt sales to the Mawuhi African Market moving and transition funds fundraiser
- Collected toys and money for dads in need around the holiday season
- Facilitated a community drive for Winooski Mutual Aid, raising over $400 and collecting kids' hygiene products and art kits for nearly 50 children
- Assisted in collecting child care stories from fathers for Let's Grow Kids, and their movement to make child care affordable and equitable for all
- Hosted an event that raised over $600 for The People's Kitchen in Burlington.
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Additional Ways to Join the Dad Guild Community!
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An important part of our mission is to foster genuine connection among fathers, and while all of our events and groups are opportunities to get together (even if only virtually), we also offer specific check-ins where we can help support one another.
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Special Events
Dad Guild regularly partners up with other community organizations to offer special events that reach a larger audience. Previous partners have included The Family Room, ECHO, Building Bright Futures, Seed & Sew, Let's Grow Kids, The Winooski Family Center, and GROW Prenatal & Family Center. Many of these offerings are intended for the whole family, so be sure to keep an eye out for what's coming up next!
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Resources
We encourage fathers to model vulnerability and talk about fatherhood topics as much as possible, across a variety of platforms. Normalizing fatherhood engagement is extremely important in our work, and the sharing of personal stories and perspectives is crucial to our success. Please reach out if you have a perspective you would like to share, and want support getting it out there.
- Resilience and Grit: A Father's Story, by Marlon Fisher
- Empowering My Daughter: How the #metoo Movement Changed my Outlook on the Word "No", by Keegan Albaugh
- Connect More, Fight Less: Nurturing Your Relationship After Kids, by Keegan Albaugh
- A Black Father Reflects on Privilege & Power, by Marlon Fisher
- Advocating for Accessible Changing Tables in Public Restrooms, by Keegan Albaugh
- Fostering Connections and Spreading Joy While Physically Distancing, by Keegan Albaugh
- Creative Ways to Connect with Grandparents, by Keegan Albaugh
- More Than "Giving Mommy a Break": Thoughts From a Stay-At-Home Dad, VPR piece by Marlon Fisher
- #MeToo and You, CBC piece feat. Keegan Albaugh
- A Father Reflects on the Reopening of Childcare Centers, by Keegan Albaugh
- Talking to Young Children About Racism, by Keegan Albaugh
- Why Dads Need Social Connections, by Keegan Albaugh
- How Dads Can Be Equal Teammates in Domestic Labor, by Keegan Albaugh
- How to Manage Parental Anger, by Keegan Albaugh
- Postpartum Depression Happens to Dads, Too, by Keegan Albaugh
- How Dads Can Model Healthy Masculinity, by Keegan Albaugh
- Parenting During The Pandemic: Child Care, School, and Isolation, VPR piece feat. Marlon Fisher
- What to Do When Your Child Has a Preferred Parent, by Keegan Albaugh
- Tips for Navigating Sadness as Winter Grinds On, by Keegan Albaugh
- After Vaccinations, How Do We Reconnect With Each Other?, by Keegan Albaugh
- How to Support New and Expectant Moms in the Workplace, by Keegan Albaugh
- Changing Societal Views About the Role of Dads, by Keegan Albaugh
- Navigating Respectful Parenting as a Dad, Voices of Your Village Podcast feat. Keegan Albaugh
- Vermont Visionaries: ECHO Exhibit Creator Chris Whitaker, by Cat Cutillo feat. Chris Whitaker
Anti-Racism
Our organization is dedicated to doing our part to help dismantle systemic racism in our society, and we’re encouraging all fathers connected to Dad Guild to be a part of the solution as well. We're still working through how best we can contribute, but as part of that process we want to share what we're finding.
Media Coverage
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Read all about the start of our organization in this KidsVT cover story from 2019.
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Check out this 2-minute feature on Local 22/44 News regarding Dad Guild, and the importance of social connections for fathers.
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Dad Guild founder and Executive Director Keegan Albaugh sat down with Comcast Newsmakers to chat about the work being done in Vermont.
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Attempting to achieve gender equality in our society by going...ice fishing? Check out this 2-minute video from Burlington Free Press.
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Past Newsletters
Our main method of engagement with our members is via our newsletter and the associated event calendar. It's the best way to stay up-to-date on all that we're doing!
